Scale Considerations

  • Keith Beven
Chapter
Part of the NATO ASI Series book series (ASIC, volume 345)

Abstract

This paper addresses the problem of changing hydrological processes with changing hydrological scale. The nature and effects of heterogenity in catchment topography, soils and rainfalls are discussed and the idea of the representative elementary area for runoff production is introduced. The joint problem of hillslope response and channel routing at different scales is considered, including the tendency to apparent linearity of response at larger scales. Finally a framework for considering the hydrological similarity of catchments with different characteristics and different scales is presented.

Keywords

Rainfall Intensity Water Resource Research Catchment Scale Unit Hydrograph Instantaneous Unit Hydrograph 
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1991

Authors and Affiliations

  • Keith Beven
    • 1
  1. 1.Centre for Research on Environmental Systems Institute of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of LancasterLancasterUK

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